Teaching the 'invisible' disabled students in the classroom: Disclosure, inclusion and the social model of disability

Nicole Matthews*

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    80 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Drawing on the insights of critical disability studies, this article addresses anxieties frequently articulated by academic staff around the implementation of the United Kingdom's Disability Discrimination Act: how to accommodate the needs of students with 'hidden' impairments. Following the social model of disability, it argues that universities should avoid the use of medical labels in identifying the learning needs of disabled students, and should make efforts to institute as part of everyday practice a diversity of inclusive teaching strategies. Finally it discusses an induction activity which sought to encourage students to disclose additional learning needs to university staff while opening up a discussion around difference, diversity with the student cohort as a whole.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)229-239
    Number of pages11
    JournalTeaching in Higher Education
    Volume14
    Issue number3
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2009

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